Avenue expecting a much sterner test

10:40pm Monday 18th August 2008

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Avenue’s storming start to their campaign put them as joint leaders of the UniBond Premier Division table after the opening day of the season and they will hope to build on that tomorrow night.

Dave Cameron’s new-look squad were magnificent in their 4-0 demolition of Prescot Cables on Saturday.

Tomorrow night’s fixture, though, should be a far greater test of Avenue’s promotion favourites tag.

The Bradford outfit journey to Matlock Town, who held FC United of Manchester - one of the other clubs highly fancied by the bookmakers - to a 3-3 draw at the weekend.

Having secured that valuable point in front of 2,344 paying spectators at Gigg Lane, Town will be aiming to earn a maximum from their first home game.

Cameron will warn his troops of the pitfalls and he will not allow them to become over confident after their weekend victory.

But he will keep the enthusiasm on the boil.

“I thought Chris Hall and Stuart Rudd had marvellous starts. We looked a very useful side throughout,” said the Bradford boss.

“We will have the same squad, but possibly not the same team. There were good performances all round on Saturday. The defence looked particularly solid, but every game presents a new challenge.

“It’s early days yet and we can’t read too much into just one result. I’m happy with the way it has started but what we have to do is to stay focused and keep the desire to win that we had in our first game.

“Before the game against Prescot, I said I wanted everyone to give 100 per cent and work their proverbial’s off.

"If someone lost the ball they had to track it down until they won it back. I want more of the same tomorrow night.”

Avenue need another clean sheet, as well as three points, if they are to ensure they hold the top spot going into next Saturday.

Marine share the lead after day one - they also won by a four-goal margin but conceded twice in their 6-2 home win over Worksop Town.